World Duathlon Championships success for three generations of Anglim family
IT was a family affair for the Anglims at the recent World Duathlon Championships with three generations representing Great Britain, as Mick took double gold and silver.
New Forest Cycling Club and Hardley Runners member Mick claimed his fifth and sixth world titles before his son Brendan and granddaughter Erin – representing Great Britain for the first time – competed in the Sprint Duathlon World Championships race two days later.
Brendan and Erin raced superbly, finishing in the top-three GB finishers in their respective age categories, meaning all three have now qualified to represent Great Britain at the 2023 world championships in Ibiza.
The World Duathlon Championships in Targu Mures, in the hilly Transylvania region of Romania, started with a very technical and brutal cross duathlon above the city.
The 6.5k and 3.5k trails run through the woods and included more than 1,650 feet of climbing, while the four-lap mountain bike course was even more demanding, with many hills too steep for the older competitors.
Mick was the only M75 to take on the demanding course, which involved over 3,850 feet of climb in 34kms, taking him three hours and 50 minutes.
Mick had to hire a mountain bike with three very different duathlon races to contest during the championships. But, despite one fall, he was satisfied to beat the younger M70 winner and take his fifth world duathlon gold.
Four days later, he competed in the standard-distance duathlon around the Motor Racing Circuit. In the first 10k run, Mick was behind the Norwegian Olaf Ellefsen but overtook him on the bike to extend his lead to over four minutes after the second 5k run to win his sixth world title.
A now exhausted Mick was joined by M50 son Brendan and granddaughter Erin in the W20 category in sprint duathlon two days later.
The run course was up and down the main city centre street, with a 20km five-lap bike course zigzagging through the streets around a medieval castle and over 600 feet of climb, cobbles and 65 corners.
Norwegian Ellefsen led the group after the first 5.9km run.
Mick took the lead on the third lap but then threw away the gold medal by accidentally continuing for an extra circuit.
Despite adding another eight minutes of biking, Mick won the silver medal by over 22 minutes to take his international medal tally to 28, including 14 golds.
